Survey shows extent of school sexual harassment
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four out of five teen-agers say
they have boon sexually harassed al s< bool — labels of
conduct ranging from rumor-mongoring to physical
assault, according to a survey of eighth- through 11th
graders.
The national study of 1.800 students found that
harassment frequently starts in elementary school, that
few of the vii tuns ever report it, and that the emotional
impact, particularly on girls, is serious and widespread
More than one in 10 of those surveyed reported being
forced bv either fellow students or adults to engage in
sexual conduct beyond kissing Thirteen percent of girls
and 0 percent of hoys said they had experienced this
unwelcome sexual behavior.
"Ignoring sexual harassment in schools in effect con
dones it." Sharon Schuster, president of the American
Association of University Women, said in a statement
accompanying the study results living released Wednes
day.
"We need to send a message classrooms and hall
ways in our schools must he a safe place to learn,'
Schuster said.
Questionnaires were administered in 79 classrooms
across the country by Louis Harris and Associates The
educational foundation of thi* university women * group
commissioned the study.
Fifty-three percent of the students in the study said
they'd been tom tied, grabbed or pinched in a sexual
wav, but two-thirds of the girls said they had been vic
timized in this wav Forty-two percent of the hoys said
they had been.
Thirty-nine percent of the victimized girls said they
were afraid in school, fl percent of the boys said they
were
"Sexual harassment takes a toll on all students, but the
impact on girls is devastating." said Anne Bryant, exec
utive director of the educational foundation.
At least one 18-year-old girl discovered it didn't do
any good to inform school officials.
"I was upset the administration didn't respond imme
diately after I complained" about sexual harassment, she
wrote on her questionnaire. "I was told to ignore the
harassers."
The survey covered 14 categories of conduct —
including intentionally brushing up against someone in
a sexual way, being victimized by sexual rumors, or
being spied on while dressing or showering
Two-thirds of the students surveyed said they had
been subjects of comments, jokes, gestures or looks of a
sexual nature.
The findings:
• just 7 percent of the victims told a teacher about it.
And while one in five victims told a family member. 23
percent kept quiet More than half didn't even know if
their school had a policy on sexual harassment.
• Nearly four out of 10 students who did the harass
ing said it's "just part of school life." that "a lot of peo
ple do it" and that “it's no big deal." Two-thirds of the
boys and more than half of the girls surveyed admitted
they have sexually harassed someone in school.
• One in four girls who said they’ve been harassed
were victimized bv a teacher, coach, bus driver, teacher s
aide, security guard, principal or counselor.
The survey also concluded that harassment usually
occurs out in the open in the hallway or classroom.
Harassment often occurs in the early grades, and usu
ally more than once. One-third of the victimized stu
dents said they'd first been harassed in elementary
school. Fifty-eight percent reported they'd been targeted
often or occasionally.
The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 per
centage points.
Raped nurse can sue supervisors
WASHINGTON (AP) - A
nurse at an Oregon school for
(uvenile offenders can sue her
supervisors for assigning her to
work alone with a youth who
raped and fieat her. the Supreme
Court decided Tuesday.
The court declined to review a
lower court ruling rejecting the
supervisors' argument that the
federal Constitution does not
require slate employees to pro
tect subordinate* from injury by
another person.
The supervisors' lawyers con
tended the nurse should have
sued under state personal-injury
law instead of alleging a viola
tion of her constitutional right to
due pro» ess.
When the nurse was hired to
work at the MacLaren Si hoot in
Woodbum, off'e inis told her she
would not have to work alone
with students who were violent
offenders.
On Aug 15, 1989, supervisors
at the school assigned an inmate
to work with the nurse in the
school's medical clinic. Accord
ing to court papers, the youth
was a violent sex offender who
had foiled all treatment pro
grams at MacLaren
Once alone with the nurse, the
youth raped. I>eat and robbed
her. her lawsuit said
The nurse sued five supervi
sors. saying they failed to train
her on how to respond in an
emergent V and that they know
ingly assigned her to work alone
with someone considered likely
to commit a violent offense
A federal judge dismissed the
lawsuit, saving statu officials did
not have a duty under federal
law to protect the nurse from an
attack by a third parly
But the Oth U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals reinstated the law
suit last year. State officials t an
tie held responsible for creating
a dangerous situation that leads
to on attack, the appeals court
said.
In the appeal acted Tuesday,
the supervisors' lawyers said the
nurse's "remedy is to tie found
in state law. not the federal Con
stitution "
Four other federal unpeals
courts have said state offn ials
may be held responsible for fail
ing to protect someone only if
the person was in custody or
officials somehow barred the
person from protecting herself.
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CORRECTION
PHOENIX IAP) — The
Associated Press reported
erroneously May 31 that an
FBI spokesman said the
agency knew Islamic extrem
ists planned to meet here in
1991
The meeting among mem
bers of Islamic Jihad and the
Muslim Brotherhood was in
December 1991 undercover
of a larger gathering of 4,000
Muslim youths, according to
The Arizona Republic and the
book Target America. Terror
ism in the U.S. Today. The
newspaper and the book said
the meeting of extremists was
to discuss terrorist acts in the
United States.
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